Grace Goes to Washington by Kelly DiPucchio

“Everyone falls at some point, said the Road. The Road’s dialogue and the narration are set in a chunky, sans-serif type with no quotation marks, so the one flows into the other confusingly.

“What if I fall?” worries the narrator in a stylized, faux hand-lettered type Wade’s Instagram followers will recognize. The Road’s twice-iterated response-“Be a leader and find out”-bookends a dialogue in which a traveler’s anxieties are answered by platitudes.

Opening by asking readers, “Have you ever wanted to go in a different direction,” the unnamed narrator describes having such a feeling and then witnessing the appearance of a new road “almost as if it were magic.” “Where do you lead?” the narrator asks. (author’s note, suggested activities, chart of checks and balances)įrom an artist, poet, and Instagram celebrity, a pep talk for all who question where a new road might lead. Grace herself is a black girl with locs, Sam presents white, the new boy is South Asian, and Principal Pérez also has brown skin.Ī layered story with educational and entertainment appeal. Pham’s characteristically exuberant illustrations depict a diverse school community in which learning, leadership, and kindness coexist. The text effectively ties together the story’s threads while using child-friendly parallels to familiarize readers with the branches of government. They collaborate on a proposal for a “Friendship Mall,” and voting day becomes a time for unity instead of fighting. Grace notices a new student sitting alone, and when she sees his sketchpad, she gets an idea. The class has an inspiring trip to Washington, D.C., but back at school, everyone is still arguing over how to spend the money. Should they buy new library books, musical instruments, or sports equipment? Sam likens the student-government system to the national government, with an executive branch (Principal Pérez) and a legislative branch (the elected leaders on the student council). Various classroom representatives and committees have suggestions, as does Principal Pérez. The bake sale was a success, and the student council is charged with deciding how to spend the money. But that’s not the only thing happening at school. Grace can’t wait for her class trip to Washington, D.C.

Grace learns about the branches of government and uses a democratic process at school to make their community a kinder place.

Grace Goes to Washington by Kelly DiPucchio